Monster
by BankaiBoy
Summary: Ben is thrust into a world of magic and hatred. The people who once cared for him will soon turn. He's not the only one who has felt this pain. But can he find a different path than hatred?
1. Chapter 1

This story is about a boy of 16, Ben, who has grown up without parents. He'll be thrown into a world beyond his understanding. His magic is uncontrollable and dangerous even to himself. He's not alone either. A delinquint and classmate of his, Kelly Law, has the same eyes as him. He's suffered the same way. Kelly has survived by denying morality and swearing revenge. Ben will be hated, hunted and live a life of anger. But can he escape this path before he ends up like Kelly? Or will he really be the "monster" everyone says he is?


	2. Chapter 2

I didn't have parents but I grew up like anyone else. I had crooked teeth then braces. Candy was rotting them, then dentists filled them. I had friends who I hated and enemies who made me laugh. I could catch a football but I threw like a girl. It flipped through the air for a total of twenty feet and anyone could jump and catch it. I played Little League baseball and YMCA soccer and I quit when I got to 7th grade. I never liked basketball or football though. There were two girls I "dated" in 8th grade which meant I sqeaked "Hey" to in the halls and during class we'd pass notes to each other where we had scribbled "U R cute" or "Wanna catch a flick after skool? My mom can drive." My voice changed before other boys and the girls laughed. I couldn't tell it had changed but they told me it cracked and it'd be deep one sentence and high the next.

In high school, I took driver's ed and thought I failed when I hit the curb in the parking lot. But the teacher said it was okay and happened a lot. I had a paper route that I got fired from because I didn't like getting up that early during the winter and missed a whole cul-de-sac and tossed a paper in the snow. I was good at math and English. I was a year ahead of most kids and already taking pre-calc. My grandma wanted me to be an Engineer because they earned a lot and didn't work too hard. And states always needed them. My math teacher Mr. Kimball said I'd make a great math teacher because I liked puzzles so much. I wasn't so great with parents or other adults. Mr. Kimball even told me so. He said I had a sour face and that's why Onken never liked me. He was the English teacher and he told me I was too disrespectful of Christianity which might've been true. But he also told me my writing was missing "a goddam point besides how hopelessly average your life has been."Parents always seemed to hate me too like I was a burden. They'd offer to set a place for me at the table and I'd say sure and they'd sigh and say "Okay." Then the next time they offered, I'd say "No thanks" and they'd sigh and say "Okay." But their kids liked me.

I missed school for the usual reasons. I was never sick. Not even the sniffles but somedays I didn't _feel_ like I should go to school. I'd tell my grandma that I threw up or I'd fake a cough. She sometimes took me to Dr. Wallace who'd ask me what I'd been reading. I'd tell him Harry Potter or some other childish garbage and he'd nod his head and suggest I'd try this or that and I never listened because I was a slow reader and felt like everyone knew it took me twice as long to turn a page.

Tuesday, in Language Arts (I don't know why they called it that since it was a composition course) Onken told me I had to read my paper aloud Friday. He said "Everyone has read theirs already and they volunteered. Now you have to."

The paper was creative non-fiction and I already had in mind this story about how I sometimes lay down to sleep then have a brilliant idea and stay up late to write. I'd be up until four in the morning and the next day I'd be itching to read what I'd written (because I could never remember) and edit it. But I'd be at school all day then squatting or benching with the guys on the soccer team and whenever I got home, I'd dive into my bed and nap for three hours because I was exhausted. And when I woke up, I'd finally read last night's "brilliance" and it'd be awful or something mediocre and not worth obsessing about as I had all day.

I'd been working on this paper since Friday when we got the assignment and it was about three pages.

After class I stammered my idea to him. I don't usually stutter but I get nervous when public speaking or just thinking about it. I cough a lot to clear my throat and I itch my face and don't make eye contact. I stared at the rows of desks while talking and Jenny Koplitz had left her grammar assignment in the rack under her desk. I knew it was hers because she sat next to me and tears the flecks of paper out of her notebook spiral and makes a pile during class then when its over, she brushes them to the floor.

I don't think he understood my idea because he said, "Don't worry so much. No one expects anything great out of you."

I guess that's true. I'm a pretty average student and I'm not an athlete. I work out a lot but I never do better than anyone else. I'm the weakest guy in gym class and sort of slow too. Mainly because I like to talk about baseball with this guy Mal Volker who's fat and for the first lap or so I hang back with him until the teacher whistles at me to speed up or I'll be running extra. I don't think that's fair. The cross country guys all run together and they're definitely not "giving it their all" as the teacher would say. They could run a mile in five minutes if they wanted but they slack off to talk or run behind Sabrina and Chelsea who wear these tight shorts that don't cover their asses. I want to do that too. But I can't because I don't like the other guys and Mal is fat.

I was in the Commons for lunch and the line stretched along the wall so I walked by and sat with Mal and Danny at our usual table. It was right by the line and they'd sit facing the line so they could oggle all the girls. I sat across from them so it'd look like they were talking to me which they were.

"She's wearing a thong today. I saw it earlier at her locker when she was bending over for a book," Danny said. He had a rubber band around his wrist and was snapping himself.

Mal sipped his Diet Coke. "Yeah but she's got a butter-face. It's pudgy and pimply and no one wants to look at it."

The line moved behind me people shuffled by. Kids bumped me with their backpacks and some apologized. Others didn't. Shoes skidded and left black streaks on the tile. It stopped and kids complained that they should be let by but the Lunch Lady only let so many people by at once and everyone else could bitch all they wanted but she wouldn't listen.

Jenny Koplitz was standing behind me and said, "Hey." She was talking to all of us so I didn't bothering facing her.

Danny had a thing for _her_ too and said, "Hey, baby girl! What's for lunch today?"

"Don't know yet. I'll tell you when I get up there. You guys have room for another?" She set her purse and backpack in the chair next to me. I scooted over so she'd have room at the round table. She didn't sit with us unless she was fighting with her boyfriend. They'd been dating since middle school and every year people'd say they were breaking up soon but they hadn't yet. Or they _had_ but then they'd get back together in a week. We didn't mind her sitting with us. She smelled nice even after gym class and the guys didn't talk about their penises as much when she was around. Though when she wasn't looking, they'd motion with their hands about how big her tits were getting. They'd grown a full cup since May. It was September now.

The line moved again and somebody brushed against me and yanked my hair. When they let go, I held my head until the pain stopped. I looked for who had done it but I couldn't tell. Danny had seen though and pointed to this kid, Kelly Law. He'd been pretty normal until high school. He had invited me to his birthday parties in middle school but I never went. Then in high school everyone hated him since he got a bunch of tribal tattoos on his arms and started acting like a dick.

Once the line had dwindled I got my own lunch—two hot dogs and fries and an ice cream sandwich with a milk—and when I came back Jenny was there.

"You left your pronouns quiz in Onken's room," I told her.

"No, I have it—" She dug through her bag and pulled out her history book and slammed it on the table, then did the same with her algebra and psychology books. "—Oh shit. I guess so."

"It's under your desk."

Mal reached over and stole a fry then another.

"You didn't get it for me?" she asked.

I shook my head and drank my milk. The carton was leaking from a corner and Mal handed me a napkin. He always got twenty napkins "just in case." I held it to the carton as I chugged the rest. I mopped up the tray. "Sorry."

"I'm not mad. I just figured you would've gotten it."

She stretched her arms to the side and closes her eyes. Danny stares at her tits while he snaps his rubber band. She squeals a little and sighs. When she opened her eyes Mal wasn't looking any more but Danny still was and she smiled and looked at me.

I was stuffing a hot dog into my mouth. Some ketchup dribbled down my chin and Mal gave me another napkin.

"You're such a slob," Danny said.

I shrug. What do I care what they think?

"I'm going to get that paper. Watch my stuff, will you?" I think she was talking to me but I couldn't tell.

After school let out I walked home. I could've taken the bus but I was 16 and had my license and no car. Mal would be getting his license soon so he'd give me a ride then and Danny had another year so for now I was walking. It was about two miles and people honked when they drove by. I didn't know any of them. An old buick stopped at the stop sign and inside was this girl with big green eyes and curly hair. I'd seen her before. At least once a week at the stop sign and a few times in school too. She was a senior and head of the Prevention club and she was on the Cross-culture club. She used to be a cheerleader but stopped to focus on soccer.

She had her window down and tossed a gum wrapper to the gutter. She saw me and smiled a little wider. She was always smiling about something.

I waved and it wasn't the manly kind. I should've nodded or ignored her. The buick sputtered forward with a broken taillight and rusty bumper.

I got home and Grandma was waiting for me. She's not really my grandma. She's black and only 37. My real grandparents were dead. My Grandma adopted my mom at age 20 when my mom was 16. I don't know if it was a legal adoption or just assumed. My mom gave birth to me a few months later and died shortly after. My dad too. My teachers knew them and told me I look like them sometimes with my blue eyes and big nose. Grandma says I have my mom's smile but my dad's laugh.

"How was school?" she asked and I always tell her "Fine," then head up to my room.

But today I was thirsty and filled a glass from the tap.

She tossed her blue-vest on the counter and stowed nametag in her purse. "Hello, I'm Erin" it read. "Got a lotta homework?" she asked.

"I've done it already."

"You're lyin'. I said the same thing to my mama when I was your age and I bet she'd say the same to hers. I'll help if you'd like."

"It's nothing hard." And nothing she could help with. I loved her but I knew her. She couldn't help with it. I sipped my water and set it down. I turned to leave and knocked it over. The glass fell to the floor and broke. I picked up the jagged bits of glass and cut my forefinger.

Erin fetched some napkins from under the cabinet under the stove. She wiped up the mess. "Now don't worry about it. Happens all the time." It did too.

I sucked on my finger and headed upstairs. Erin called after me to stop drinking my blood or I'd turn into a vampire but I didn't listen. I went up to my room and opened the Great Gatsby. We were reading it for school. I sat by my window in a desk chair (though I had no desk).

Mal was sitting at his computer in the house next to mine. There was a bush on each side of the window. He hadn't seen me otherwise he wouldn't have scratched his crotch like that. His mutt was barking in the backyard. He was only about 20 lbs and yelped whenever someone walked by. He growled after they were gone then lay down under a pine tree.

I went back to reading until I noticed the blood on the page. I kept sucking at the wound but it wouldn't stop. I rinsed it off in the hall bathroom and wrapped a band-aid around it the best I could. I washed the blood from my palm. There was some black marker on my hand about the size of a half-dollar. It was a pretty perfect circle and I didn't remember drawing it myself. I scrubbed it until my hand hurt but it must've been permanent marker. It wouldn't come off.


End file.
